After The War
by Tera253
Summary: With the war over, Katara returned to the Water Tribes to help rebuild-a task she tackled with a very ambitious approach. With Azula back on the loose and Ozai being broken out from prison, staying on top was one of her only options.
1. Chapter 1

AUTHOR'S NOTES—it's me again. This is just a random story that takes place about 15 years or so after the war. As with all my stories, there will be some OCs, but as the title indicated, the main character of this series is Katara, but all of our favorite heroes are still alive. Most (keyword: most) of the events that took place in the cartoon are what happened in this story as well, including deaths, pairings, etc. There is at least one exception to this rule, as we will soon find out.

BACKGROUND

_The peace that came from Avatar Aang's defeat of Fire Lord Ozai was only short-lived. Even without his bending powers, he was an influential man, and he had many connections. His daughter Azula was no different. Her bout of insanity that had cost her the throne to her brother was only a guise. After all, with him on the throne, he became all that bigger of a target for assassination. Azula's own confidence and lack of blatant insanity was what helped her be released from the asylum—they could not legally keep her locked up there when she was perfectly sane. However, she fled long before they could bring her to justice for her war crimes, and her current location is unknown—though her followers are everywhere._

_The Fire Nation under the rule of Fire Lord Zuko and Fire Lady Mai was doing its best to rebuild itself and provide aid to the Earth kingdom and Water Tribes for the damages it had caused. This did well for their stance on the world, though there was still some bitterness regarding their permanent destruction of the Air Nomads. There were also several rebellions against Fire Lord Zuko, many of which were quelled. After all, not everyone was immediately satisfied with the change of monarchs that had happened only a few years prior._

_The Water Tribes began advancing in the world, trading and expanding to increase its status. They began tapping into the resources of the forsaken Northern and Southern Air nomad lands, as they were otherwise uninhabited, and it gave them a chance at producing and providing goods that could not be grown in the icy tundra. These acts were questionable, but there was a mutual agreement between Chief Arnook in the North and Chief Hakoda in the South. Between the two tribes was Katara—mediator and diplomat; and so she was kept busy travelling between the two tribes and to the other nations for negotiations and the likes. Katara, with the help of some friends and peers, helped turn the Water Tribes into a very resourceful people._

_The Air Nomads were all but wiped out of course, though a few were found staying true to their name—wandering the world as nomads. Also of note were a couple of Aang's children, who were born as airbenders from their father._

_The Earth Kingdom also began again to increase and advance in power, rebuilding its once crumbling empire. However, it is believed that the Earth Kingdom is home to many rebels and traitors as well, though these things generally did not go down very well with Iroh and Toph. Toph roamed the greater portion of the Earth Kingdom during this time, keeping people in line._

_Aang roams the world as an Air Nomad, though recently has settled down because of his children. Even then, however, his many connections have helped find people to care for them as he travelled, which many times was a necessity as well._

_Sokka and Suki roam the southern portions of the Earth Kingdom, and give their reports to Chief Hakoda in the Southern Water Tribe, as well as the ancient King Bumi of Omashu. They are well-known for their classes on weapons training, and their lessons have produced many a fine warrior from all three nations._

_Toph roams the Earth Kingdom, serving no particular party, but generally favoring those of her friends. She seems to linger a lot around the Jasmine Dragon, and appears utterly loyal to Iroh. She gives little concern to politics or diplomacy, but her skills remain unrivaled. Apart from winning earthbending tournaments on a regular basis, Toph spends her time helping Iroh at his tea shop._

_Zuko continues to rule the Fire Nation, taking advice from his Uncle Iroh when he visits. He is currently kept very busy with the rebellions in the Fire Nation, the traitors in the Earth Kingdom, the threat of Azula; the neutrality of Iroh and Toph, and also prominently, the cunning of the Water Tribes, both from Arnook and several others in the North to Hakoda and Katara in the South._

_Iroh states that he has had his share of fighting, and so stays out of most of the skirmishes. Nevertheless, he does not hold to this very well when a friend or loved one is in danger. He is almost always seen in Ba Sing Se running the tea shop, The Jasmine Dragon, and is helped by Toph._

_Katara has been named as a possible candidate for the next Water Tribe Chief. Many people believe that this just means for the Southern Water Tribe, but some also believe that this includes candidacy for the North instead. She is notoriously skilled, clever, and always determined to get the things she wants. This was not viewed as bad by very many people, as most of the time, her desires were to help others. However, no one is perfect…_

* * *

><p>AFTER THE WAR<p>

PROLOGUE

_Kyoshi Island_

It is surprising what a few small events can do to a person; it is even more surprising to see how drastically people can change over the course of time. With passing times comes changes to society, and thus changes to people, family, friends and foes alike. Whatever the case, it is good to know that the world is not actively at war—though tensions still are high…

"I feel inclined to ask if I should be surprised to see you, Fire Lord."

"Hardly. Don't think that I've turned into my father in the 15 short years since that war ended."

"So what brings you to Kyoshi Island? Are the rebellions in the Fire Nation that bad?"

"They are aggravating, but nothing too severe, Sokka. What I wish to speak to you about is your sister. When was the last time you heard from her?"

"It's been a couple of weeks," Sokka admitted, "what do you want from her?"

"I want to know what she and your father are doing." Zuko stated, "They have been setting up Water Tribe operations in the Southern Air Temple grounds. I hardly think that the world needs to see another nation start building colonies."

"You should know us by now, Fire Lord," Suki chipped in, chuckling, "someone tells us to fight; we fight. Leave us out of the politics of the matter—what is the problem itself?"

"The Water Tribes are building an army." Zuko warned, "It is not a threat to the world, and I hope sincerely that they are not planning something similar to that. They continue to receive Fire Nation aid in return for the damages that we caused them, but they turn around and use the money to purchase more goods from us and the Earth Kingdom, and any goods we send them they take and hoard."

"Come now," Suki raised an eyebrow, "Surely the Water Tribes are not trying to monopolize anything here, are they? Surely they are putting these things to some sort of use."

"I just wish to know why they are so secretive about the matter." Zuko explained, "Katara doesn't talk to me the way she probably speaks to you two."

"Incidentally," Sokka raised an eyebrow, "she does not do much in the ways of speaking to us either. Were you trying to enlist her for something?"

"I mainly wish to know what she is doing. She is a powerful warrior, and my sister is still on the loose. Add that to the threat that Ozai presents ever since Azula broke him out, and we have trouble. Now there are rumors that Zhao has been discovered."

"Old Sideburns?" Sokka gawked, "how in spirits did he survive?"

"Who?" Suki raised an eyebrow,

"Admiral Zhao," Sokka explained, "before the Seige of the North supposedly took his life, Zhao was hunting us just as much as Zuko was."

"Thanks for bringing that up." Zuko frowned.

"Tell us what you know of him," Sokka recommended, "especially since he was last seen in the Water Tribes. If he is still there, it is certain that he and my sister have crossed paths."

"That's where he was found." Zuko replied, "He is at the Northern Water Tribe. Chief Arnook sent me word of it since Zhao is a firebender, but he gave me little other information."

"Are you saying that the Fire Lord is not allowed to travel where he wishes?" Suki asked,

"I am not," Zuko replied, "but I do not feel a need to meddle in the affairs of another nation during times of peace—especially when there are problems on my own doorstep."

"So what does Katara have to do with all of this?"

"I want to know if she knows about Zhao. This could have an impact on the operations of the tribes, and perhaps give insight on a few things."

"So does this mean the old gang's getting back together?" Sokka grinned,

"Unfortunately, I don't think so." Zuko replied, "I could not find Aang, and Toph and my uncle remained in Ba Sing Se."

"I've never known Toph to turn down a fight." Sokka noted,

"Neither have I. Though there was no fight in this situation, so it explained itself."

"Oh. Well, you never know with Toph—or women, for that matter."  
>This earned him a punch in the shoulder from Suki.<p>

"So if this is the situation, then what are you coming to us for?"

"I want you to let me know of anything involving Katara or the Water Tribes. Again, I doubt that it is anything severe, but the last thing I want is international conflict again. In return, you will be compensated fairly for your troubles, of course."

"This sounds an awful lot like spying to me."

"She is not my enemy, nor is she yours.

"Good enough of a point. You have yourself a deal. I hope you pay well."

"I have the entire Fire Nation at my disposal. Do not worry about being under-compensated."


	2. Chapter 2

AUTHOR'S NOTES—the personalities of the characters are slightly different. The obvious answer for this is that they've grown from teenagers to adults. They are not completely out of character or anything, but some might do some things they wouldn't before, or perhaps not do things they used to do. Reasoning will come about as these 20 years of interlude gets periodically revealed.

Also, I will very likely give various "surnames" to the characters for various reasons. Katara's surname in this series is 'Zelgius', and so 'Zelgius Katara' are referring to the Katara from the show. Just a heads-up in that regard.

P.S. 'Karsu' is not an OC.

AFTER THE WAR

CHAPTER 2: MEMORIES

_Earth Kingdom Palace_

Two Dai Li agents burst through the palace doors, dragging along another Earth Kingdom woman. The woman appeared unhurt, but her eyes were closed. They took her to an empty chamber where they threw her into a chair.

"You will wait here." They ordered, and strode out of the room. The black-haired woman remained calm, her bare feet sliding across the ground. Soon the woman heard voices, and felt the presence of three men entering the room. Two were the Dai Li that had brought her here; the third was much more prominent. Bei Fong Toph recognized this man as the Earth King.

"Do you know why you are here, Lady Bei Fong?" he asked her.

"I take it that it has nothing to do with another congratulations for saving your nation's sorry hide from the Fire Nation 20 years, ago, innit?"

"Tell us what you know of Zelgius Katara." The king ordered.

"You know, you're a lot more forceful than your predecessor. He was a funny guy."

"King Kuei was not as serious as he needed to be. While you and your friends have done much for the Earth Kingdom and the world, I must ask for another favor."

"Does this have something to do with Katara and the Water Tribes _again?_" Toph groaned, "Because if it does, I'm frankly getting sick of hearing it."

"Do you realize what is at stake here, Lady Bei Fong?"

"Let me guess—your precious Earth Kingdom is paranoid simply because the Water Tribe is joining the ranks of military superiority, and you think they might strike."

There was a moment of silence, and only Toph's foot twitched.

"I've already told you—Katara is most likely at one of the Water Tribes."

"That is the same information that Fire Lord Zuko conveyed to me from his reports at Kyoshi."

"Well, have you checked the Water Tribes?"

"That was the first place the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation checked for her. She has vanished."

"And so the search is futile. Maybe she got frozen in an iceberg for 100 years? She _is _a waterbender after all—freezing ice is not out of her league."

"Very funny, Toph. Alas, I suppose there is nothing that can motivate you to get out of that tea shop then, I take it?"

"With all due respect, your highness," Toph replied, "I don't think there is—well, nothing short of actual combat. I hate politics. You know that."

"I understand that. Nevertheless, remember that this is your country as well."

"I remember it," Toph nodded, standing up, "Until then, however, you know where to find me."

Toph promptly returned to the Jasmine Dragon, where she met back up with Iroh. Out of casual curiosity, he asked her what the incident had been about. He did nto ask about why they had dragged her away, as they knew that that had been, for some odd reason, her personal request.

"Same stuff as last time; just stuff about Katara again"

"What did you tell them?"

"I told them the same things I told everyone who has asked me—I have no clue where Katara ran off to. Not even Twinkletoes knows where she went, and he's her husband. Frankly, I don't see what the big deal is. The Water Tribe builds a military. The rest of the world panicks, as if this has never happened before."

"As a retired general myself, Bei Fong Toph, I can understand the possible dangers of such a rapidly growing military. It was something that happened vastly during the reign of Fire Lord Azulon. Nevertheless, perhaps at this point they are taking things a little too seriously. I do not see the significance of Katara in this situation either, especially when Chief Arnook and Chief Hakoda are in plain sight, and are operating normally. I guess we'll see what happens."

"No, we won't." Toph replied. Iroh glanced at her, and she waved her hand over her eyes. Both of them chuckled at the joke, and finished with a cup of tea.

* * *

><p><em>Southern Water Tribe; coastal village west of the capital<em>

"There's something going on here that we're clearly not seeing, Zhao."

"Really now; you don't know what to conclude from more waves of Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom Marauders? I would have thought that your experience against me at the North Pole would have taught you that such attacks don't just end, Katara."

"I just want to know why the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation have not called them out on it."

"I'm in the same type of exile that the Fire Lord's mother is in." Zhao explained, "While it is clear that the spirits had mercy on me for whatever reason, I doubt that the Fire Nation would have mercy on me the same way."

"I once thought I would never be able to forgive the Fire Nation for taking my mother," Katara sighed, "I didn't have such a hard time forgiving you."

"That was because I was always a royal pain," Zhao laughed, "and I also believe it was because I never did anything to betray you or harm you directly. Besides, you seem to have gotten over your grudge against the young Fire Lord now, haven't you?"

"Are you trying to make me angry?"

"Only because it's so easy."

"Shut up. Keep in mind whose tribe you are indebted to."

"That would technically be Arnook and Hakoda then."

"Except that _they_ would likely have your neck too. That's why you're simply a Fire Nationer residing down here, Zhaoka. Keep in mind who covered your sorry hide up."

"And now you know why I like making you mad." Zhao grinned, "You pull it off so flawlessly."

"And I'd probably uncover it too if you weren't such an active player in my own plans."

"And that, Zelgius Katara, is why I am still here. I would like an explanation again of what those plans exactly entail."

"First tell me why the spirits let you come back."

"Fine. It can wait till later. What are your plans from here?"

"We rendezvous with Lady Karsu and move northward to our operations at the Southern Air Temple. Apparently the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation are trying to grab some of that land as well, now that we've started a trend."

"I told you that expansion into unclaimed lands was a good idea." Zhao grinned.

"Well, if by 'good' you mean 'provoking the other nations into joining in', then aye, it's a great idea. Karsu keeps me well-informed of the people searching for me. They know I'm playing a huge part in this ordeal. Not even my friends know where I am."

"How can they _not _know where you are? You've told them you were in the Southern Water Tribe, and here you are."

"Zhao, do you have eyes?"

"Katara, can you not make a sarcastic stab at me for once?"

"Look around you, Zhao. The Southern Water Tribe is growing swiftly. The icy tundras make good storage units once they're carved out. With waterbending, that's a breeze. It's a great place to hide things too, and the fact that they think we're trying to hide all of these things is what is increasing their paranoia. We'll see who's paranoid after I have Azula's head on a spear."

"What's your point?"

"My point is that the Southern Water Tribe isn't just a stack of igloos anymore. Finding someone here is actually a challenge. The villages are large enough that you can't just romp through here the way Zuko did a few years ago and demand everyone to step down. The Water Tribes are stubborn folk—especially nowadays."

"I could have told you that," Zhao laughed, looking up at the moon, "and now, 20 years later, I continue to find myself drawn to this country."

"War is brewing, Zhaoka," Katara frowned, "I think though that this time, it won't be one rogue nation rising to the top. This one looks like a free-for-all."

"The other nations are starting to believe that the Water Tribe is turning rogue."

"The other nations can go die in a hole if they're going to panick just because we're building an army. Until it gets larger than theirs, they have nil to worry about."

"So what do your father and Arnook plan on doing with it all?"

"Beats me; from what I understand, we just want a sufficient military to defend ourselves with. I mean; I don't exactly think that the Fire Nation sent out warning letters saying that they were going to attack the people they did. To me, it just seems like an issue of being prepared. That, and I have no intention of letting the Southern Water Tribe reach the sorry state it was in 20 years ago. That's why I do what I do."

"So are we waiting for something to happen here, or are we going to get your ship into gear and make for the Air Temple?"

"I suppose we could get going. We just need to catch up with Karsu."

"And where would she be at this time?"

"I am right here," said a voice from behind them. This woman too appeared to be Fire Nation in origin. "I have heard enough of these plans."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Zhao chuckled.

"Hardly the case, Zhaoka" Karsu smirked, "If anything, I am implying the need for more action and less talking now. Katara, your ship is docked at the port as we planned. Let us go now."

"Excellent," Katara grinned, "I love it when things all fall into place."


	3. Chapter 3

AUTHOR'S NOTES—Ursa and Zhao did not simply adopt codenames because it was cool. There is a decent-sized story behind that. Nevertheless, it is currently irrelevant at this time, but will show up once it becomes relevant.

AFTER THE WAR

CHAPTER 3: FAMILY TENSIONS

_Southern Air Nomad Lands_

The Water Tribes proved to be more resourceful than the other two nations had anticipated. Waterbenders seemed fond of the idea of living in a less frigid place, but they had not abandoned their tribes either. The settlements at the Southern Air Temple were considered territory of the Southern Water Tribe, while the much smaller settlements in Northern Air Nomad lands were considered part of the Northern Water Tribe. Katara took Zhao and Karsu to the hub of these settlements, where they were casually greeted by the waterbenders present there.

"What surprises me," Karsu remarked, "is simply how fast the people of the Water Tribe have multiplied. Perhaps they have been able to reunite now that the chaos of war has not scattered them abroad."

"Indeed," Katara agreed, "but keep in mind that the Foggy Swamp Tribe produced several proficient benders who have since moved into civilization. I think it's because of them that these Air Nomad lands have not been so heavily industrialized."

"Your people think the way I do." Zhao approved, "I appreciate the Water Tribes more and more with each passing day."

"Of course," Katara grinned, "the Foggy Swamp has proven to be a boon for us. It works as a very nice trading post between the two tribes, and our agreement with the Western Air Temple has only made things better for us."

"You're telling me you managed to bribe the Air Nomads into joining us?" Karsu exclaimed,

"I wouldn't say bribed, Ursa," Katara noted, "but we are in a trade agreement with them. They have support from the Water Tribes to defend the lands of theirs that we annex, under the condition that we do not cut off any Air Nomads from making their places among them. There are so few of them left, that is hardly a price to pay for the expansion we are now experiencing."

"A clever maneuver," Ursa chuckled, "perhaps the Fire Nation should have tried something like that instead of trying to burn it all down."

"I see no reason to remove friendly trading partners," Katara smirked.

"Though admit it," Zhao chipped in, "those women at the Western Air Temple know how to drive some mercilessly hard bargains."

"Spirits, aye," Katara shook her head as they made their way to one of the smaller coastal settlements. "How can we blame them? They're reasonably more cautious than they were before the war. Just because most of them are still pacifists does not mean that they cannot be clever and resourceful. I think out of the Four Nations, they are our closest ally."

"They are also close allies with the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom though, and not just the Water Tribes," Ursa warned, "They effectively have no enemies."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Katara chuckled, "unless this is the part of the performance where I'm supposed to get paranoid the same way the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation have. The Air Nomads are no threat, because they remain pacifists. They are clearly not hiding anything, as they are very open about their doings."

"There are still the pirates though." Zhao noted,

"Well, unless the Air Nomads are funding the piracy raids, then we know that it is not something they condone," Katara argued, "unless it's something they're doing in behalf of another nation. Regardless, we could go and name every possible thing that could go wrong and still not reach them all. It is a waste of time.

"Katara, Katara; Katara," Zhao chuckled, "there's a reason that I'm the wits behind the military aspects of this operation."

"Come now," Katara laughed, "you're making it sound like there really is a conspiracy behind all of this mess. All we are trying to do here is extending the reaches and influence of the Water Tribes, and keep ourselves as a respectable world power instead of a feeble stack of igloos and an isolationist, traditionalist, primitive society."

"You were easier to attack back then."

"That is exactly my point—and something tells me that the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation are not necessarily devoid of military activity."

"Did it take you that long to realize that?" Zhao laughed, and Katara stopped.

"No," she growled, looking down towards the coastline below them. "But it looks like I just got proved right."

Neither Zhao nor Ursa had to ask what had triggered Katara's mood swing. The Water Tribe village that had been situated in the location had been razed. Immediately, the trio went into what remained of the area to investigate.

There were ruins of buildings and remains of ships—so whoever had struck had done so by sea. There were a large number of dead people, many of them waterbenders (or nonbenders from the Water Tribe). Also among them however, were pirates that were revealed to be from the Fire Nation. This brought alarm to all three of them.

"Looks like Fire Lord Zuzu has some explaining to do." Zhao smirked, using an old term he had picked up from Azula much earlier on in life.

"Damn straight he does…" Katara swiftly agreed, but then Ursa interrupted them.

"Just because they are from the Fire Nation does not mean it is Fire Lord Zuko's fault." She warned them. "Even the Water Tribes have pirates. While it is not to say that the Fire Nation is uninvolved, I am simply saying that we cannot blame them so swiftly either. Think of it like the Air Nomads—the airbender raiders are not condoned by the remaining Air Nomads, nor do the two groups affiliate."

"What I want to know then is this," Zhao noted, looking around, "Why are there Kyoshi Warriors in this mix of dead bodies?"

* * *

><p><em>Southern Water Tribe, a few days later<em>

Chief Hakoda was somewhat surprised to find his son burst through the doors of what was now the Southern Water Tribe palace (in the makings, at least). He looked furious, which surprised Hakoda. While Sokka had moved to Kyoshi Island, he kept in touch with his father, and the two had never had much reason to have such tensions.

"Sokka," he exclaimed, "what happened?"

"Where is she?" Sokka growled. He was carrying what looked like the battered headgear of a Kyoshi Warrior in one of his hands.

"Where is who?" Hakoda did not understand who Sokka was talking about. The last thing he would have expected would have been Sokka's reply.

"Your daughter—my sister" with that, Sokka threw the Kyoshi headplate to the floor in front of the chief. Hakoda looked surprised.

"You don't think it was Katara, do you?" he exclaimed,

"Kyoshi Island was raided by Water Tribe marauders." Sokka explained, "They came from the Southern Air Temple, which was where Katara and Admiral Zhao were last seen."

"Come now, Sokka. Even if it was Katara, surely you don't think your own homeland would have initiated an attack unprovoked. Katara is not the type to do anything unprovoked, but woe to the one who crosses her."

"She was put in charge of the colonies at the Southern Air Temple. Apparently a few Kyoshi Marauders attacked a settlement, and now our own tribe has taken over Kyoshi Island, slaying most of the original inhabitants…"

"Katara's expanding our borders again?"

"…and Suki among those that were killed" Sokka nodded at the headplate on the ground. Hakoda shook his head and frowned.

"I will send word to Katara about this, Sokka. We will see what she knows, and if she had any prior knowledge of this attack. I do not want to start a war with the other nations again. We are not ready to take on the world if we throw our country into war."

"I want whoever took her to pay." Sokka frowned, "In similar news, the Fire Lord and the Earth King were both wondering about Katara's whereabouts—and if she is involved, she will have to answer to the Earth King for her attack at Kyoshi."

"Sokka," Hakoda frowned, "I am not fond of this situation any more than you are. However, let's not blame your sister until we know for a surety that she was involved. Keep in mind that she has Admiral Zhao with her—a choice even I am not fond of."

"She's been so evasive—more so than Aang. Zuko was telling me that a lot of the Fire Nation thinks she is conspiring."

"That is where I disagree." Hakoda remarked, "Chief Arnook and I keep each other well-informed of each Tribe's activities, and there is no conspiracy to speak of. If they are afraid of us building up a military and several fortress-like cities, then they are simply afraid of losing the power that they have. We are still behind the Earth kingdom and the Fire Nation in terms of power."

"That's fair enough." Sokka shrugged, "No one should have to live in a Water Tribe as broken as the one we grew up in. I guess I'm just upset about the attack on Kyoshi."

"Don't worry, son." Hakoda reassured him, "I plan on investigating it and all surrounding events. We will not start a war over this, and we will learn who was behind it."

Hakoda had retained his Chief status over the Southern Water Tribe, but he had given power to Katara to oversee some of the colonies in the north and the south. Thus, Katara was always moving around a lot. Among the other nations, this had given her an unfortunate label as an evasive woman, and some even believed that she used these evasive tactics to avoid the law. Luckily for Katara, most of these theories were incorrect assumptions made by conspiracy theorists who were afraid of the Water Tribe.

Some people thought that there was a reason to be afraid though—tension between the three nations (the Air nomads, not so much) was building. It was not enough to start a world war, but many people feared that that would be what happened if it continued this way.


	4. Chapter 4

AUTHOR'S NOTES—As long as it took to write this chapter, I admit that most of the hiatus was just laziness on my part. I have no excuse, so I hope you enjoy the chapter.

AFTER THE WAR

CHAPTER 4: CONSPIRACIES

_Unknown location_

_Follow the light…_

"_I will follow the light…"_

_I instigated the Fire Nation attack on the Water Tribe settlements…_

"_I instigated the Fire Nation attacks on the Water Tribe Settlements…"_

…_for the glory of the Fire Nation._

"_YES! For the glory of our proud nation!"_

_The Water Tribes were not involved in retaliation…_

"_The Water Tribes are far too inferior to have been involved in retaliation."_

_Earth Kingdom_

In the ways of intrigue and conspiracies, there was actually very little of such in the passing months. The Water Tribe did start colonizing the string of large islands off the southeastern coast of the Earth Kingdom, having annexed them on the condition that prices of goods and services from the Northern and Southern Water Tribes would be reduced. The Earth King also demanded the location of Katara, but no one would give it, either from not knowing it, or from loyalties to the woman. Sokka carried out the negotiations, as it helped him take his mind off of the events at Kyoshi. He was definitely furious about it still, and the only reason he had not exploded when he was ranting to Chief Hakoda was because he knew that taking his anger out on his own father would do nothing beneficial. Nay, he wanted to find out who had done it, and get them.

For a while it seemed that Katara was on the run. Not even Arnook, Hakoda, the Earth King, the Fire Lord, the Council of Five, or Katara's friends knew where to look for her, but at the same time, they were scouring the world for her. Most of Katara's business, however, was scoping out their new purchase from the Earth Kingdom. In fact, she was so wanted that she was able to get exactly what she wanted from the deal of annexation.

"Can you believe her nerve?" an Earth Kingdom General exclaimed after he had passed the news on to His Majesty. "She wants to keep her old trading prices for a simple interrogation?"

Several of the other members of the Council of Five muttered in agreement, but the Earth King knew better.

"You don't see the importance of this?" he told them, "She's offering herself up freely to be interrogated. Not only do we get to ask her what we will, but we also have something we can dangle in front of the Water Tribes and the Fire Nation. We can get back at them for their strike at Kyoshi."

"You're surely not going to hold her for ransom, are you?"

"No, she's far too powerful, and that earthbender at the Jasmine Dragon would be all over our cases if we did. We are taking this offer up though. Spirits know when an opportunity to get the information out of that opportunistic freak will come up again."

True to her word, Katara turned herself in. She was bound, and carried in secret into the heart of the Earth Kingdom, and thrown into a chair similar to how Toph was.

"You could have been a little nicer," Katara frowned.

"You could have been a lot easier." The Earth King frowned, "but I accepted your demands, and so now you must accept mine if you wish for this deal to go through."

"Ask me what you will." Katara nodded, "I'll be honest with you. Dealing dishonestly when there is territory on the line is a foolish maneuver."

"You know how to negotiate then." The generals grinned. "So tell us—what happened at Kyoshi Island on that day four months prior?"

"Honestly, I wish I knew. It was a cleverly setup scheme if you ask me, but I would not have hired anyone to launch an attack on my own people—especially not if the Kyoshi Warriors were going to get involved. My brother's wife was among those killed. I'm not about to villainize myself in front of my whole family."

"That does not answer what happened at Kyoshi Island proper."

"I did not issue the attack there. If it was done by the Water Tribe, they were not affiliated with me. Surely Sokka or Hakoda would not have issued the attack, and Chief Arnook never liked getting into the affairs of other people if he could avoid it. If you asked me, it was probably Ozai's remaining influence with the Fire Nation mercenaries. He has wished destruction on the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation for many years now."

"How do you know this?"

"He told me. We spoke to each other. He was hiding in the Southern Air Nomad lands. He was in no condition to attack us, as there were two firebenders and a waterbender against one non-bender. I left his fate up to Admiral Zhao, who released him on account of bribery. I was not involved."

Katara had involved Zhao with this matter because he was already in exile. Even with Katara's level of respect, she actually held no power either, and so no lawful blame could be placed on the Water Tribes, and since Zhao was exiled from his homeland, the Fire Nation could not be blamed for it either. Whatever the case, Katara was not finished speaking.

"But, if you want the whole story, then aye—we are in fact building a military. We are also expanding our borders. We only seek to become a world power so we do not get wiped to the brink of extinction like we nearly were over the last 116 years. If you and the Fire Nation are discomforted by the fact that we are not openly displaying the locations of our stockpiles and militaries, that is not our concern. Our military is not a matter of being secret; it's simply a matter of convenience. Bunkers and ice caves keep things warmer than leaving them out on the ice. We are not so lucky to have friendly climates as the other nations."

"And so what say you about these recent attacks?"

"The Water Tribes are a defensive civilization. We will defend our lands, as well as our colonies. We have gone into an agreement with the Air Nomads from the Western Air Temple regarding our use of their land, and so if you wish to know those details, you can discuss it with them."

"Or," the Earth King smirked, "I can expect you to uphold your word when you promised to answer _every _question I had."

Katara frowned, and knew that she had walked into that one.  
>"You want the truth about the Air Nomads?" she snarked, "fine: we agreed to give them free reign in any of our lands, including the poles and the Foggy Swamp, in return for letting us colonize the regions around their Air Temples. We agreed to provide them with defense, and to not build establishments within 1 mile of their temples and ruins. However, we do have forts all around them, so we can naturally better defend those who have given us so much."<p>

"So the Air Nomads are turning to the Water Tribes for support." One of the generals frowned.

"Actually, we came to them with the plan." Katara explained, "Since I knew you would ask anyways. We wished to expand our borders, and to do so peacefully. Thus, we came to the Air Nomads at the Western Air Temple, which was the most intact of the four temples. We came to an agreement about using the Southern Air Temple, and we also provided some support for their struggling society. We agreed to help them back on their feet and allow them to continue their peaceful lifestyle, and we vowed never to wage war in their lands, unless we were fighting off attackers. It makes me all the more curious as to how Ozai was able to launch an attack on those lands and get away with it—and moreso, why Kyoshi was with them."

"Who is to say that the Kyoshi Warriors at the Southern Air Temple were supporting the Fire Nation mercenaries?"

"Their numbers," Katara replied, "if they were helping defend the Water Tribe settlement, they would have overwhelmed such simple mercenaries. The Water Tribe Settlement at the Southern Air Temple was one of our oldest and therefore strongest locations. The Kyoshi Warriors are a fighting force to be feared and respected. Put two and two together now, Earth King."

"Does that mean that word for their actions came from Ba Sing Se though?" he argued. Katara was silent for a moment, but then smirked.

"For me to say that would mean that I was playing by a double-standard." She explained, "I am not accusing the Earth Kingdom proper for the motives or actions of the Kyoshi Warriors. Thus, I am simply expecting the same kind of treatment for the Water Tribes, especially when there are the likes of Ozai, Azula, Long Feng, and Hama back on the loose."

"Indeed," the earthbenders nodded, "we are not trying to become your enemies, Zelgius Katara. The Earth Kingdom itself was once a land full of conspiracy when ruled under Long Feng. It is because of this that we appear so suspicious."

"Very well;" Katara nodded, "and so did you have anything more you wished to ask from me?"

"That will do for the moment," The Earth King nodded, giving a light respectful bow to Katara as she stood up. Katara gave a much deeper bow respecting her superior, and she was escorted from the palace. Once she was gone, the generals turned to the Earth King.

"Did you really just sell a handful of large islands to the Water Tribe just to answer a few questions?" one of them exclaimed, almost sounding furious.

"Of course." He smirked, "you do realize what this means, right?"

"We cannot say we do," the generals replied. "Enlighten us, if you will."

"What it means," he smirked, "is that we can get a pretty copper off of the Fire Nation for what we learned today. We have intel both about the secretive Water Tribes, as well as the elusive Zelgius Katara, that the Fire Nation does not have—but that they will certainly want. Ergo, what this means, is that right now, we are at an advantage."


End file.
